This morning as I was languishing in bed contemplating the day’s work, downing a cuppa and perusing the morning outpourings of the magical steam powered interweb, as you do, my ire was somewhat raised by a story hosted on auntie beeb about a Canadian dignitary.

Canada’s Governor General Michaelle Jean has strongly defended her decision to eat raw seal heart as a show of support to seal hunters.

I’m trying to get the hang of writing shorter, more interesting posts, really I am, so I’m going to skip the sickening way the BBC have reported this, I’m going to ignore the fact that they use the phrases “seal hunters” and “commercial seal hunters” interchangeably with “Inuit people”.

I’m even going to ignore the Animal Rights Nutters angle, save to say that if “clubbing” an animal to death is “barbaric” then you are doing it wrong. As a young chap I trapped, killed and ate my share of wildlife, and more recently have had frequent cause to despatch large trout using a tool known as a priest, so I can personally vouch for the fact that a swift crushing blow to the cognitive centres of a fish, fowl or mammal leaves it dead as a doornail very, very swiftly, and indeed it is only being squeamish and half hearted about it that is likely to cause the animal suffering.

That out of the way, what particularly incensed me was the following

The incident came weeks after the EU voted to ban Canadian seal products … on the grounds that the seal hunt is cruel.

Did they now, did they by Jove ? This raises two of the questions that would, were I not otherwise occupied, currently be keeping me awake at night, viz : “Am I a Libertarian ?” and “Is democracy really right for me ?”

Now no one from the EU came around and canvassed my opinion about the cruelty or otherwise or killing seals, or the fairness or otherwise of